Researchers Find Two Albino Green Sea Turtle Hatchlings in Mozambique

August 5, 2015

Hatchling sea turtles are so cute, but have you ever seen an albino hatchling sea turtle? Researchers at a turtle monitoring program on Vamizi Island in Mozambique have discovered four albino green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) two of which made it to the ocean. The other two were found dead.

The researchers are conducting genetic testing on the tissue samples from the dead turtles and are now trying to determine if other turtle conservation programs have found similar turtles with cases of albinism.

“Since the discovery, we have been doing some research and haven’t yet been able to find any records of albino green turtles with no pigmentation in their eyes,” Joana Trindade, conservation community manager on Vamizi Island, told Seven Seas.

Joana Trindade/sevenseastravelmagazine.com

Two albino green sea turtles and three normal green sea turtles were released into the ocean.

Albino green sea turtles are rare but several have surfaced around the world over the years. A Youtube search yielded some interesting sea turtles with all white shells and bodies, all white bodies, but none that appeared to lack pigmentation in their eyes.